Scientists at The University of Manchester have fabricated highly miniaturised pressure sensors using graphene membranes which can detect minute changes in pressure with high sensitivity, over a wide range of operating pressures.
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Researchers from University of California, Santa Barbara, have developed a device that could prove the existence of non-Abelian anyons. These 2-dimensional quantum particles were theorized and mathematically predicted to exist but have not been synthesized till now.
Researchers from York University and Roma Tre University in Italy believe the solution lies in composite materials built from monolayers of graphene and the transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC). They found these materials could be used to achieve a fine electrical control over the electron’s spin.
Researchers at MIT and several other institutions have developed a method for making photonic devices—similar to electronic devices but based on light rather than electricity—that can bend and stretch without damage. The devices could find uses in cables to connect computing devices, or in diagnostic and monitoring systems that could be attached to the skin or implanted in the body, flexing easily with the natural tissue.
Researchers from Cambridge University have demonstrated how graphene and other related 2D materials (namely hBN) can be directly printed onto textiles to create fully inkjet-printed dielectrically gated field effect transistors (FETs) with solution processed 2D materials.
Researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Riverside developed an ultrafast method for electrically controlling magnetism in certain metals, which could lead to increased performance for magnetic RAM. While the nonvolatility of MRAM is a boon, speeding up the writing of a single bit of information to less than 10 nanoseconds has been a challenge.
As electric cars gain increasing market share, new battery technologies are being implemented in them to improve their range and efficiency. Graphene batteries are one of the new technologies that could be applied to electric vehicles.
Two interesting projects focused on coating single-layer graphene with metal-oxide nanolayers were presented at the latest Thin Films and Coating Technologies for Science and Industry event in the UK. Researchers from Cranfield University, UK, together with collaborators from University of Cambridge and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), applied alumina to form a composite barrier layer, while a team from Imperial College London, UK, used the unique properties of strontium titanate to fabricate a tuneable capacitor.
Indian start-up Log 9 Materials reports a technological breakthrough using graphene to improve the capacity of lead-acid batteries by 30%. “The life cycle had also increased by 35%”, Log 9’s CEO and founder stated.
“We are close to commercialization and trying to partner up with existing players in the market to cater to different needs of batteries in different applications, i.e operational requirements are quite different for a car battery as compared to a storage battery for solar panel applications,” he said. “So far the interest has been from domestic players including the defense sector. Some of them are interested for automobile applications, others for solar energy storage, etc”.
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the University of Manchester have published a good practice guide on the characterisation of graphene.